It's Beginning to Look a Lot....Gloomy

Yuck, pixies. The weather here is dreary and drizzly and blech. Yes, we are spoiled. I'm not going to tell you the "cold" temperature that we are suffering.

A bit of Family Togetherness Overload Syndrome from Thanksgiving. When we arrived home Saturday, we all retreated to our respective corners for introvert time.

Mr. E is returning to the Big D on Thursday. Friday would have been his nephew's 15th birthday, and the family is gathering to eat pizza at nephew's favorite place and support nephew's dad/Mr. E's brother.

So, we are taking any and all ideas for fun in the midst of gloomy/missing Daddy. I have my eye on our town's Christmas festival on Saturday. And I discovered a cardboard build-your-own-nativity in a box the other night, so we may do that. We also could make the annual gingerbread cookies, though it's a little early.

Thanksgiving (U.S.)

This is the start of the festive holiday "overload" season!  We'll be open 24/7 for all of your whining and anti-whining needs!

Featured this week:
*  Recipe sharing welcome!
*  Stupid pet tricks!
*  Stupid people tricks!
*  Things I'm thankful for.

We're going to the kinda-in-laws again, a big semi-chaotic feast.  I'll be taking along veggies and dip, a savory sweet potato gratin (this time w/o sausage, since son's GF no longer eats meat), and because the gratin will only have a pint or so of heavy cream, chocolate mousse for a dessert.  One year there were 3 pumpkin pies, so I'm going bold with chocolate.

This morning, I'm finishing 3 chunks of work.  Two are done!  As you can see, it is already break time, because the last piece is so boring complex and important.  It could change the entire way this problem is viewed, or (more likely) simply stun the reader into a deep lethargy.

Fortunately, I have substantial help from my office assistant, Minerva, who is sitting atop the filing cabinet so as to keep a close watch on any shenanigans that other animals might try outside the window.  It's a thankless job, but somebody has to do it.

What's up with you?

From the trenches...

Send your reports!  The whines and anti-whines, the big, the small, the silly, the icky.

Today is my beloved's birthday!  Once again, he will be older than me for the next 7 months.  We're going to dinner for 2 at a nice place; will do a larger dinner another time, when more of the family can come.  Our son remembered to call, but he forgot the date and called yesterday, which is probably just as well since he has night school after work today.  Daughter is off today, and baking cookies.  There is a giant basket of gourmet treats, which he can feast on at leisure. 

AW:  I mis-remembered the date something is due, and it's next week!  Still stuff to get done before then, but it feels like a gift.

Family:  My aunt is a genealogy freak -- I mean, she recently discovered that a woman from the House of David married some ancestor in the 700's, so we have all heard that we are actually part Jewish.  My aunt's youngest son lives near me, and we carpooled yesterday to the distant party for his older brother.  He thought the cousin whose funeral is this week (he recalls this cousin not at all) was some kind of uncle; did not know that his mom's mom and cousin Jim's mom were sisters.  Conclusion:  the family telegraph operates weirdly.

And how's by you?

Whine Central

It's been a tough couple of weeks here in Pixie-ville.  Our posses are tired from chasing after jerks and mean people. We ache for one another at the losses our beloved pixies are experiencing. So, dear Universe, enough already!!!

Here at Chez Sue, I've come to the end of my study leave week and will have my next non-preaching Sunday in late February. The very thought of it is exhausting. I'm not sure why that feels so overwhelming - it's the same every year - but tonight it's very big and looming. *sigh*

AW: My sister is coming to visit next weekend. Plans are in place from Thursday night to Monday morning.

W: The thing is, of all the four sisters, I'm the only one still working....so, there's that. Still, it will be great to see her when I can. (wow, that's whiny)

What's new in your world???

All the news that's fit to print!

ELECTION:  The fabulous Doorbell Queen, our own LIZ, is nearing this week's election.  Sending powerful good-luck and get-out-the-vote vibes from around the intertubes!!  Passing the chocolate; chilling the champagne.

WEATHER:  It rained all night, the first real rain of the season (which started in July)!  This amount of rain might be meh news elsewhere, but we sure need it.

WILDLIFE:  Due to the rain, The Man dressed in office clothes instead of his usual bicycling clothes (dry weather means he rides to work), and the dog was so confused that she just decided to wait on the bed for his imminent return.   Minerva the cat is going to the vet today!  She's the one we can catch, and daughter is taking her.  It's probably no biggie, a lump that doesn't seem to bother her -- but she hasn't met our vet since she was adopted.

What's the report from your neighborhood?

Bok bok bok

Feral chicks

It's still Monday morning early afternoon here, and today is pecking me to death already!   Apparently, there is a blue light special on work-related emotional breakdowns (not mine, this time), two for the price of one.  On the other hand, I got some tedious but informative work done this weekend, which feels very virtuous.

Food news:  The new Thai place is good!  And very nearby!  This restaurant space has had a few loser years since the Mexican place closed -- the last incarnation was (I think) Chinese, but they kept the curtains closed and didn't post a menu; and the restaurant before that was all tofu.  And I have no real objection to tofu, except that never in my life have I thought, "Oh, I'm just dying for some tofu!"

Wildlife news:  My cat Polly, a feral rescue foster kitten who never became social enough for adoption, has not allowed anyone to pet her in the last 8 years.  She slept by my feet last night.  And in a true breakthrough, she put her little head by my leg; and then she let me pet her with my foot!  She even turned her head so my foot could rub the other side!  I know, this sounds underwhelming, but trust me, it is HUGE. 

Weather report:  Dry dry dry dry.  Rain expected Wednesday, then dry dry dry.  They keep promising us this El Nino, but one day does not a drought cure.  Hugs to our Texas contingent, because lately, they've gotten rather more than is useful.  

Political news:  GO, LIZ!  

What's the news up your way?

Aloha was so last week....

Back to the grindstone this week.  Pretty soon now.  Any minute.  I swear!

To our Canadian Pixies, may the voting go your way today.  There is a certain amount of jealousy that y'all are at the end of the campaign season, whereas the Pixies to the south are expected to endure another entire fireplacing year of breathless daily updates and urgent pleas regarding the big national election.

Meanwhile, GO LIZ!  I'm more and more convinced of the importance of state and local offices -- people often ignore them, but that's really where changes and improvements begin.  (And not paying attention is how we end up with whiffle-ball-for-brains candidates in high state and national offices.)

Back on the home front, our daughter did a splendid job of keeping the ship running.  The pets were a little miffed that their personal humans went missing, but all is forgiven.

Hugs to those dealing with sorrow, sickness, sadness, etc.

What's new with you?